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Men pick through the remains of ancient manuscripts at the Ahmed Baba Institute, which rebels set ablaze before fleeing the city.The mayor of Timbuktu described the incident as a "devastating blow" to Mali's cultural heritage, but Time reported this week that preservationists had actually launched an operation early last year to safeguard thousands of manuscripts before militants took control of the town. "The manuscripts are in total security," one Malian official told the magazine.